


Forever

by nativex1r



Category: Fifth Harmony (Band)
Genre: Angst, F/F, One Shot, Short One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-07
Updated: 2015-12-07
Packaged: 2018-05-05 10:42:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,022
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5372375
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nativex1r/pseuds/nativex1r
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's been a year, and Camila can still smell the smoke.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Forever

**Author's Note:**

> Pure angst, also my first post on here, so I hope nothing goes horribly wrong.

As usual, the streets were empty this summer evening, devoid of any sound, other than the occasional whir of a car some blocks away. Yet in Camila’s mind, the roar of an engine echoed and amplified in her mind, and it was deafening. It was so loud it made the streetlights flicker, the asphalt crack and groan, the houses turn in fear. So as she collapsed onto the white curb, clutching her knees to her chest and straining to listen to the chirping of the birds instead. As the cars drove away, the lights dropped to a constant glow, the roads smoothening to a sea of black, the houses returning to normal. After all, it was a calm summer night, and although Camila’s mind was in turmoil, everyone else was ok.

Some of the birds on the sidewalk behind her suddenly scattered, and she whipped her head around instinctively. They flew up to the stars, and for the first time in a year, Camila smiled, enjoying the bright constellations above, tracing Ursa Major with her index finger. It had been months, she remembered, since the stars and the moon shone this brightly, even without clouds in the sky. Perhaps it was the persistent heat melting the winter frost off the night sky.

A small gust of wind breezed by, and she slowly shifted her head around to look at a hand over her own on the curb.

“Awfully hot lately, yeah?”

She didn’t even have to look up at her face to recognize the voice. Instead, Camila focused on the fingers intertwining with hers, moon reflecting in the other girl’s shiny black nail polish. It gave it a nice glow, not just her nails now, but it seemed that her entire body was radiating.

“Yeah. Hasn’t been this hot in a while.”

There was a brief silence between them, and Camila thought she smelled something burning. She could never use her nose well though, so while people could tell if it was food or wood or wax burning, she could never tell. In this case, it was a rancid odor, one she recognized, but from where?

“You look like a ghost, Lauren. Where have you been?” Camila whispered, staring at the road in front of her. It felt as if the words escaped from the past, surreal and slow. She tightened her grasp around Lauren’s hand, determined not to let go.

The lights glimmered in a soft orange, pulsing in rhythm to Lauren’s foot tapping softly on the asphalt. “Sorry for leaving, Cam. I didn’t want to. But I’ll stay for a bit tonight.” She pulled out a burnt necklace charm from under her shirt, blackened on the edges, and displayed it in the palm of her hand. Camila wasn’t sure if it was her vision or the dimming lights, but the letters on the half heart were starting to melt together. She struggled to read, “FOR”.

“What does tha- Oh!” Camila remembered the cool metal links on her neck as well, and pulled out the other half, still glossy and new. The grooves in the halves still fit, and Camila read, “Forever. Even if it’s a little blurry on your side.”

Lauren laughed a little and returned her necklace to where it was. “I really liked your gift. Perfect gift for a new adult out in the world. It really meant a lot, Camz, up until the last second. Remember when we sat here that night and I showed you all the stars I knew?”

Camila pointed up and replied, “That one is your favorite, right? The bear?”

“Yeah, the bear was my favorite. It still shines like I remember it did. I miss the stars as much as miss you, Cam.”

“Yeah, but you’re here right? So we can watch the stars as much as you want.”

For a second Lauren froze, unsettled by Camila’s unusual calm. She untangled her hand from Camila’s.

Realizing the stark reality of the situation, Camila murmured, “It’s June 27th, isn’t it? It’s your birthday.”

Lauren remained silent, her foot slowing to a stop.

“It’s been a year already.” Camila thought she heard sirens in the distance, but it was just the trees creaking under a gust of hot wind. Turning to face the other girl’s piercing green eyes, she stuttered, “Lauren, I-"

“Cam, you need to move on. Please. Look in front of you, stop looking at me.”

Hesitantly, Camila turned her head, and saw smoke and fire and the road being submerged in pools of crimson. It was terrifyingly real, and she remembered the police officer holding her back as she fought and screamed and wailed, watching the unrelenting flames swallow the car whole. Her throat felt dry and ragged, her heart racing, even though she was just sitting on a curb in front of her house. Yet when she closed her eyes to block out the inevitable ending, the scene returned to the calm summer night she had been blankly watching before.

“Nothing’s there.” Camila heard Lauren’s voice echo down the street until she felt cool metal in the palm of her hand. Looking down, she saw a shiny silver heart half, rid of any damage, like the one matching her own. Clutching the metal piece in her hand, she glared at the street that indifferently stared back, not budging to change. While feeling tears well up in her eyes, the lights flickered back to a bright incandescent yellow, spilling shadows on the sidewalk.

“Lau-“ Camila started to call, now standing in the gutter of the street. She desperately spun to locate Lauren in the dark corners of the street, but she was nowhere to be found. Stumbling forward a few steps to the middle of the road, Camila looked up and thought she saw Lauren’s green eyes in a couple stars, but she was plunged back to earth by a car buzzing by, narrowly missing Camila’s toes. Feeling an absence in her hand, Camila opened her hand to discover the necklace gone, and frantically pulling her own necklace out to check, she read the word, “Forever,” inscribed on a full heart.


End file.
